Friday, October 21, 2011

My Official Mice Day

This is my calendar day to begin my Christmas mice fairy ornaments, which also marks the day to houseproof for mice! Last year a very terrible thing happened. We forgot to check the dryer vent going outside. Oh yes, we did. Needless to say first Mickey and his gal moved in and had baby mice. I really am not so sure how many, but they had a lot!! Then I think they told all their pals, "hey this gal has a warm stove all the time and bakes a lot of yummy stuff for us!" Well before you knew it we were absolutely swarmed with them, and as cute as they are, we had to take action and quick. In hopes to never have to take such action again, we are making sure the little cuties can just stay cute outside, doing their own outside winter things.
So while those mice are doing their outside mouse things we can busy ourselves doing inside mouse things for Hallowe'en, Christmas or just about any reason, even loving those cute destruction loving monsters!

I absolutely know my sweet niece Breanne will go mad for this book! In the meantime she can learn how to build Auntie's mice.

I believe the mice really were white in the Harry Potter Books but I like mine more a caramel toffee brown so will show you how to make those. You can absolutely make both because they reign in cuteness.

Please make sure to gather all your recipe potions at the market ahead of time so you are ready set .... go!

Sugar Mice

Ingredients/Shopping List

3/4 stick (6 tbsp) butter, at room temperature 69F-72F is best
1/4 cup white corn syrup (this allows you to use any food colour gel you wish to and also keeps your mice white if you would like that)
NOTE: (1/4 cup dark corn syrup will help attain your golden mouse colour I prefer)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla bean paste (so you can keep your wee mice colour true)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Gel paste food colour (I use orange and brown to get a caramel tan colour) You can find these colourings at Michaels or even bulk food stores like Bulk Barn
1/4 cup confectioners sugar sifted on work board

Directions:
1. Combine the butter, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar slowly on the slowest speed until it forms a dough-like consistency. If you add to quickly the powdered sugar will fly all about making a horrendous mess. Add more confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is sticky, not too sticky you can wrap the fondant in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. You will also be working on powdered sugar which will also allow absorption of the "stickiness" This sugar dough will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
2. To make the sugar mice, pinch off a small piece of fondant and roll into a 1/2-inch ball. Roll the ball into an oval and pinch one end for the nose and two ends to make pointed ears. You can make two indentations for eyes with a toothpick. Pinch off another piece of dough to form a 1 1/2-inch ball and shape into an oval for the body. Attach the body to the head. You can stick a piece of licorice into the back for the tail. If the fondant gets too soft to work with, put it back in the refrigerator to firm up again.
3. Repeat until all the fondant is used up. Line up the mice on parchment paper and leave out overnight to dry.
Makes about 20 Sugar Mice

You will see Debbie's adorable pumpkin house on the cover of her book! Thinking of maybe that is how I can keep those mice out of my house .... line up a bunch of Debbie Brown Pumpkin houses up outside. I am more than certain they will move right on in!

Note about British culture: Making little animals such as mice or pigs out of an easy-to-make fondant is a popular activity for British kids. Often you can purchase fondant from a cake decorators supply store if you want to make many and quickly.
Then back to my opening sentence, my mice fairies. last night I was up until the wee hours making their wee legs and booties. And you can do the exact same thing with fondant and black edible paint markers.

Onward to show you all the little mice legs I have made, more on that though another time. Happy mousing and many thanks to my friend Debbie Brown!